Honda's new two-wheeler plant in Karnataka is go!

Are you one of many people who have booked a Honda Activa/Unicorn of late and, unwilling to pay the dealer a good deal extra to get your hands on one immediately, are still awaiting delivery? If you are, then this should be music to your ears - Honda Two Wheelers has just inaugurated its third plant at Narsapura in Karnataka.

Located a little over 50km away from Bangalore, Honda Motorcycle & Scooter India's (HMSI) most advanced (and most environment-friendly) plant, entailing an investment of Rs 1,350 crore, is set up across 96 acres, and come 2014, will be churning out 18 lakh units annually. When production commences in June, the plant will initially produce the Dream Yuga and the Activa. When working at full capacity, the new plant, coupled with the existing plants at Manesar and Tapukara, will boost HMSI's output by 64 percent in one fiscal year. Plainly put, you will not have to wait all your life for an Activa anymore.

What's in it for the enthusiast, you ask? Well, there is a possibility that Honda will bring its CB 500 range of motorcycles to our shores very soon, and much like KTM, may want to explore the prospect of assembling its large-capacity bikes at this new plant for domestic as well as international consumption. What this means is that Honda can cut down on production costs, and that'll help it price these bigger bikes quite reasonably.